The Decline of Man
by Blacklight 88
Summary: Mankind's fall is something that is inevitable. However, before mankind falls there is a decline. Now witness mankind's decline before their fall through the eyes of ZAFT's elite Craft team as they bear witness to the rise of the fall.
1. Opening Act

The Decline of Man

Disclaimer: Let me just say that I don't own Gundam Seed or Seed Destiny. I do own Michael Graves, Lance Roberts, Eric Hiltz, Raid Craft, the Hybrid GOUF Ignited, and Hyperion Dawn. Also this is a three shot preview of a Seed story I'm planning upon doing after I finish my Kingdom Hearts fic so I hope you enjoy it.

Paris, France Cosmic Era, 74

It was a gray overcast afternoon in the once proud and majestic city of France. Since the world had been plunged into a renewed war after the 'Break the World' incident Paris had been turned into a battlefield. The reason for the city becoming a battlefield was that the Eurasian Federation had recently constructed a new military base near the city as a countermeasure to ZAFT's Gibraltar base. This obviously garnered the attention of Gibraltar itself who promptly sent troops to Paris to either destroy, or capture the new base.

The ZAFT troops arrived at Paris and would have more than likely gone past the city molesting it in no way however, unbeknownst to the ZAFT troops Eurasia had already sent mobile suit troops to cut them off. ZAFT was ambushed and the entire force was wiped out. When news of this reached Gibraltar they were outraged and sent more troops along with the elite Craft team in retaliation.

The Craft team did a recon mission and discovered that the city of Paris was occupied by Eurasian troops, which included Dagger Ls, Windams, and a new type of mobile suit that was probably exclusive to Eurasia. Seeing no alternative, the Craft team contacted Gibraltar and asked for permission to attack Paris. Permission was granted.

Since then both forces have been deadlocked in a seemingly never-ending conflict that has greatly damaged and harmed the city of Paris. This is where our three-part prequel will pick up and show you just how far mankind will decline before their fall.

Beams, shells and bullets ripped through the air as the forces of Eurasia and ZAFT traded shots with each other from the behind the buildings and structures of France. In the middle of this conflict were the three mobile suits belonging to the members of the Craft team, which were at the current moment pinned down behind a cluster of ruined buildings by enemy fire. The group was made up of a bright orange Blaze ZAKU Phantom with yellow trim, a black Hybrid GOUF Ignited with dark blue trim, and a completely crimson Slash ZAKU Phantom.

The leader of the team, Commander Raid Craft, sat behind the controls of the crimson Zaku in an almost equally crimson ZAFT flight suit, his bushy blonde hair crammed against the sides of his helmet. Craft's keen gray eyes were constantly roaming over his unit's monitors, always checking for possible approaching enemy units.

Craft's monitor monitoring was interrupted when the helmeted face of his XO, Michael Graves, appeared on one of his view screens.

Craft broke his gaze away from his monitors and glanced down at the monitor politely asking "What is it Michael?"

Michael Graves was Craft's opposite in terms of hair and eye color. Where as craft had short, bushy, dark blonde hair Graves had long dark blonde hair that fell across his shoulders. Craft had gray eyes and Graves had dark blue ones.

"We need to move sir. We obviously can't stay here those Doppelhorn Dagger Ls will eventually tear through our cover not to mention were gaining no ground offensively like this." Graves voiced in his usual logical tone.

"I know Michael but we need a distraction before we can get out and return fire." Raid told the XO while drumming his fingers against one of the panels in the cockpit.

Before Graves could say anything back to his friend and commander someone else joined in the discussion "If you need a distraction I think I can make one." Lances face said as it suddenly appeared on the same monitor as Graves splitting the screen in half.

Lance Roberts had shining gold eyes wore an orange and yellow version of the ZAFT pilot suit and had bright red, spiked hair, that gradually became yellow near the end of the strands which earned him the nickname 'The Burning Flame of ZAFT'.

"You actual have an idea? Well that's a first." Michael remarked sarcastically from his side of the screen.

"Hey shut your mouth 'Grave Digger' before I shut it for you!" Lance threatened from his side of the screen calling Michael by the name his ZAFT peers had coined from his name.

"Both of you stop bickering now is not the time." Craft interjected before the two started a full-scale battle of insults "Now tell me Lance what is you plan?"

"Well since you asked" Lance started voice resuming it's normal cockiness "Let me jump out there and catch em off guard with my missiles and grenades then you and Graves come out and finish em off." He explained.

"That's not a bad idea. No risk to us and the flamer takes all the hits." Michael remarked while crossing his arms.

"Don't call me that you mother fu-." His near curse was cut off by Craft.

"He's right Lance. There is a lot of risk involved are you sure you want to try it?" Craft asked Lance not wanting to force him into anything he might have reservations against.

Lance was about to respond when a shell from one of the Dagger Ls cannons exploding dangerously close to their position made his choice for him "Yes." Lance then activated his ZAKU's thrusters and leapt out from behind cover, the machines powerful thrusters holding him in the air long enough to target the group of five Dagger Ls and trigger a swarm of Firebee missiles at them in addition to two high explosive grenades he unclipped from his ZAKU's waist and hurled as well.

The missile swarm slammed into two of Eurasian suits destroying ones whole upper torso while the other had it's cockpit, and both legs destroyed. Then before the remaining three could fire on Lance the two grenades exploded shooting debris through the air and giving Lance the cover he needed to duck back down and hide.

The Dagger Ls were to busy blindly firing through the smoke and debris at Lance to notice the two other machines that roared up from behind the ruined buildings they had been shooting at a moment before.

"Take this bastards!" Raid shout firing his Gatling beam cannons at one of the Doppelhorn equipped mobile suits, shredding through the armor around the machines cockpit and killing the pilot within seconds.

Michael kicked the head off of one of the Dagger L's and while it was blinded fired a shot from his beam rifle straight through the older machines chest causing it to explode in a shower of shrapnel.

Michael then turned to the remaining Dagger L about to fire another shot through it's chest as well when a burst of beam fire erupted from an unseen force and beat him to it.

Michael and Raid turned to see Lances' ZAKU walking out from behind a wall of rubble beam assault rifle in hand "Now that wasn't so bad was it?" Lance asked cheerily over the team's COM-Link.

"All right team lets see if we can move any further into the city." Raid said as he quickly but cautiously advanced over the Dagger L's wreckage and went farther into the war torn city.

"Roger." Michael and Lance said in unison as Michael activated his GOUF's thrusters and took to the air while Lance ran off after Raid's ZAKU Phanotm.

Eric Hiltz moved his Hyperion Dawn through the battle worn streets of Paris with silence, and speed of a cat despite the size of his mobile suit. Eric's machine was for all intents and purposes a prototype model for a mass produced Hyperion Gundam the suit resemble a scaled down Hyperion Unit 1 throwing out the 360 degree lightwave barrier and beam knives, in exchange for two arm mounted lightwave barriers, and two beam sabers, as well as other more efficient weapons.

Eric himself didn't wear a flight suit finding them completely pointless for on-Earth combat. He also had short, spiky, black, hair, wore the standard gray Earth Alliance soldier uniform, with the sleeves rolled up, and was never seen without his trademark black tinted shades over his eyes.

Eric had split up from the rest of his group, which consisted of two Launcher Windams, and two Sword Dagger Ls. The purpose was not because he was some glory hound out to gain fame as an ace pilot but because he actually did fight better alone without others to distract him or to get in his way.

Eric was about to come out from behind a skyscraper he had been using to hide himself when his scanners picked up six enemy IFF signals.

"Time to bang some heads." Eric smirked as he leapt from behind the building and fired shots from his beam sub-machine gun.

When he saw what he was laughing out he couldn't help but laugh on the inside. Two GAZuOOTs in their tank configuration, two GINNs and a CGUE.

Eric's beam fire quickly tore one of the slow moving GAZuOOTs apart causing it to violently explode. The remaining one quickly opened fire with all it's beam weapons and cannons while firing all four of it's missiles.

Eric sidestepped the barrage, which quickly reduced what once was a lovely office building that had been behind him to a pile of rubble.

"Time to meet your maker." Eric taunted as his back mounted beam cannons flipped over his shoulders and fired at the last GAZuOOT completely erasing it from the waist up.

Eric then turned his attention to the three remaining 'antique' machines. He flipped his cannons back over his back, clipped his machine gun to the back of his waist and then drew the beam saber from his left leg with his machines right hand actuator. Eric then charged one of the GINNs, which fired at him with it's beam rifle. Eric activated his left arms lightwave shield and blocked the shots with it then slashed the GINN diagonally in half.

Before the first GINN had even exploded Eric sliced off the other one's legs and fired into it's cockpit with his CIWS which upon breaking through the cockpit armor tore the pilot to shreds.

Eric saw a flash of movement behind him and turned to find the CGUE swinging at him with it's heavy blade. Eric moved his machine aside and almost without even thinking about it slashed the CGUE's left arm off when it stumbled past.

Eric re-sheathed his saber and pulled out his machine gun "Weaklings like you who don't even understand the concept of fighting make me sick." He lectured coldly before he fired three bursts of beam fire into the CGUE who still hadn't turned around. Eric turned his Hyperion around just as it exploded and continued walking down the streets of Paris searching for more foes to fight.

"Damn I hate these things!" Lance cursed as his beam tomahawk locked blades with the Sword Dagger Ls' "Schwert Gewher" anti-ship sword.

"Only because their swords are stronger than our axes and tomahawks!" Raid commented as he was locked in combat with a Sword Dagger L as well.

As for Michael he was up in the air dodging blasts from the "Agni" hyper impulse cannon toting Windams.

"Oh screw this!" Michael 'Grave Digger' Graves yelled angrily as another stream of orange energy nearly struck him.

In retaliation he locked onto one of the Windams with his "Hydra" Gatling beam cannon, "Firebee" missile launcher, "Draupnir" 4-barrel beam gun, 57mm beam rifle, and even his CIWS "Take this asshole!" Michael shouted as all the weapons fired at once and the fearsome bombardment reined down on the unlucky Windam which was ripped and shredded to pieces, and then even those pieces were annihilated be the detonating missiles.

Down on the ground Raid whistled loudly and Lance said in dumbstruck amazement "Damn! Remind me never to get on his bad side."

"But you're always on his bad side." Craft reminded, as he broke the deadlock between the Dagger L and himself making the other machine tumble backwards against a nearby building.

"Oh right." Lance mumbled as he pushed down on his machines foot pedals. The sudden force caused the anti-ship sword wielding Dagger L to fall backwards onto the pavement.

From his somewhat elevated spot in the air Lance took aim with his beam assault rifle and fired into the mobile suits chest destroying it "Woo hoo! Two down and two to go!" Lance cheered.

As if on cue the Launcher Windam fired it's anti-ship Vulcan at Lances ZAKU. The powerful bullets ripped into Lance's left shoulder ripping through the joint that held the left arm to the main body causing it to completely fall off.

"You'll pay for that!" Lance shouted firing his remaining "Firebee missiles at the Windam who cut them down before they even reached it with his anti-ship Vulcan, gun launchers, and CIWS.

The Windam then hefted it's hyper impulse cannon and fired a massive stream of orange energy at Lance who took it on his right shoulder shield. By the time the energy faded away Lance's shoulder shield had been completely destroyed leaving his right arm totally exposed.

While this was going on Raid swung at the remaining Sword Dagger L with his beam axe but the nimble machine jumped away and hurled it's beam boomerang at Raid. The suddenness of the attack caught Raid off guard and by the time Raid moved the boomerang still cut into his mobile suits chest. Fortunately though it only cleaved off a little bit and lodged itself into a nearby building.

"Enough!" Raid roared. Furious that this insect had managed to damaged his machine. He targeted it with his Gatling beam Cannons and opened fire.

The weak but heavily concentrated beams ripped what seemed like a million holes into the machine before they finally struck it's reactor and caused the machine to explode.

"Now that just leaves the Launcher Windam." Raid thought as he moved to help Lance with his opponent.

"Damn it!" Lance cursed from behind the building where he had hidden himself from the destructive power of the Windam. He couldn't believe that thing had managed to damage his machine so much.

Any further thoughts were cut off as a torrent of orange energy bored through the part of the wall beside him.

"Oh shit!" Lance yelled out as he made a thruster assisted jump from behind the building unknowingly right into the Windam's firing line.

"Gotcha." The Windam pilot smiled darkly as he took aim with his impulse cannon.

"I don't' think so!" Someone yelled from up above him.

The Windam pilot looked up to see the strange black and blue GOUF lashing out at him with it's heat rod.

"Oh no you don't!" The Windam drew a beam saber from it's hip and cut the whip in half, the severed part fell to the ground while the part that was still connected hung limply from the GOUF's arm.

Michael grunted as he reeled the remains of his whip back in and drew a beam saber, if he could get in close the Windam's launcher pack would be useless.

The Windam pilot seemed to anticipate Michael's strategy and met him blade to blade. The two were locked in combat until Raid intervened and sliced the combo weapons pod on the Windam's right shoulder in half forcing Michael and the Windam pilot to pull away from each other as the weapons pod exploded.

The explosion also distracted the Windam pilot giving Raid time to bring his pole axe down and slice off the Windam's entire right arm at the joint.

"Shit!" The Windam pilot could be heard cursing "I'll kill you both for that!"

The Windam pilot decided to take aim at Michael and just when his sight locked on a stream of orange energy coming from an unknown origin came down and tore into the Windam through it's right side and then came out of it's left managing to destroy the hyper impulse cannon before the Windam it's self exploded.

Both Raid and Michael looked for the origin of the beam and saw perched on the side of a large mountain of rubble a very well hidden Gunner ZAKU Warrior.

Raid decided to contact the pilot and thank him "Thanks for the assistance their soldier."

"_No problem."_ The pilot radioed back over _"Just doing my dut-."_ He was cut off when two massive green beams disintegrated the top half of his MS and continued onwards towards Raid and Michael.

"Get down!" Michael shouted at Raid as he himself activated his suits backpack thrusters and got airborne.

Raid threw his ZAKU to the ground with no time to spare as the two massive green beams scorched by overhead.

When the beams faded away Raid raised his ZAKU back up onto it's feet and looked in the direction the beams had come from. Standing where the Gunner ZAKU had stood only moments before was a white and gray machine that had two massive beam cannons flipped over it's shoulders and had a large black sub-machine gun in hand. The mobile suits eyes flashed a jade green color and given the current position and way the MS was standing looked almost demonic.

"What the hell is that?" Lance approached Raid's ZAKU with his own battered one.

"My guess would be that it's that new Eurasian model our recon guys told us about." Michael answered from where he hovered in the air.

"Does it matter who it is. If we can't capture him or force him to surrender we'll take him out!" Raid declared as he drew his pole axe into a fighting position.

"Right!" Michael and Lance complied together Michael arming his beam saber and 4-barrel beam gun while Lance armed his beam assault rifle.

Inside the Hyperion Dawn, Eric was locking onto the two ZAKUs with his beam cannons "Burn." He muttered as the sights locked onto the two suits and he pulled the trigger. The two torrents of emerald energy burned through the air towards the two targeted suits except this time they saw it coming and leapt out of the way.

"Looks like I'll have to try something different." Eric concluded as the beam cannons flipped over the Hyperion's back.

Eric then charged the Hyperion's thrusters and leapt towards the three ZAFT mobile suits firing bursts from his beam sub-machine gun.

The GOUF flew towards him firing it's wrist mounted beam gun but Eric just activated his lightwave shield and caught the shots on it while firing his CIWS in retaliation. The GOUF however, took the shots on it's shoulder shield.

As soon as the Hyperion hit the ground it found itself under fire from the "Hydra" Gatlings of Craft's ZAKU and Lances, ZAKU's beam assault rifle. Inside the white machine Eric slammed down on the thrusters and the machine rocketed behind a pile of rubble although it did suffer damage from the beam fire on the back of it's left leg in the process.

"Michael did you have any missiles left!?" Raid yelled up at the Grave Digger.

"Yeah I've got one salvo left. Fire it behind the debris right?"

"You got it." Raid confirmed.

Michael targeted the area behind the rubble and squeezed the trigger and released the missile swarm. The missiles streaked towards the area leaving tendrils of smoke in their wake until they finally crashed into the already battle worn street throwing up piles of destroyed concrete and rubble.

From behind this the Hyperion Dawn burst out and fired a missile from one of it's leg mounted missile launchers. The missile flew up at Michael's GOUF and Michael targeted it with his CIWS but right when he was about to fire the 76mm CIWS when suddenly the missile blew apart and split into twenty smaller missiles.

"Shit!" Michael spat quickly firing his CIWS and Gatling beam cannon at the missile swarm while simultaneously bringing his shield up over his cockpit. Fortunately for Michael he reacted quickly and took at the majority of the missiles but some managed to slip past his defenses and strike his GOUF.

When the smoke from the small explosions cleared Michael and his GOUF were still there but his right shoulder spike was gone, several large sections of armor all over the GOUF were missing and the Gatling beam cannon had been destroyed.

"You'll pay for that bastard!" The blonde snapped as his GOUF pulled out it's beam rifle and targeted the white machine "Take this!" The GOUF's rifle fired off and emerald bolt.

"Nice try." Eric moved the Hyperion out of the way had fired a burst of fire from his machine gun over at Raid, who twisted so that the shots were intercepted by his machines shoulder shield.

Raid then charged the Hyperion thrusters going at maximum and swung at the Eurasian machine with his beam axe. The Hyperion though was ready and caught the attack on his left arms lightwave barrier before he clipped his machinegun to the back of his waist and drew out one of his beam sabers which he used to lash out at Raid.

Raid pulled back from the Hyperion to avoid it's saber strike but in the process lost the top part of his pole axe to the deadly blade of frozen flame. Raid flipped down his shoulder shields and pulled out his two beam tomahawks preparing for the ensuing melee brawl.

Eric was so focused on Raid that he forgot about his other two enemies and paid the price for it.

"Please except this token of our appreciation on behalf of the Burning Flame of ZAFT!" Lance roared out as his beam assault rifles fire tore through the Hyperion's left shoulder destroying several important mechanisms, which caused the limb to fall limply to the side.

Michael didn't say anything as his machine, with beam saber in hand, ripped down through the sky like a great bird of prey and cleaved off and sliced through the cannons on the Hyperion's back ruining the weapons.

Inside the Hyperion Dawn's cockpit Eric's eyes narrowed into slits these ZAFT insects would pay for the damage they had inflicted upon his machine no matter how enjoyable they were to fight Eric would make sure that all three perished.

Raid charged at him firing his Gatling beam cannons, his tomahawks held at the ZAKU's sides waiting to bite into the Hyperion's metal flesh. Just as Raid came into range to strike the Hyperion, which had put aside it's beam saber and was using it's right arms lightwave barrier to shield the cockpit from the cannons, the white unit fired a missile from each of it's leg missile launchers which almost instantaneously broke up into twenty smaller missiles apiece completely cutting off any escape route Craft might've been able to use. There were just to many missiles to avoid.

"Looks like this is it." Raid grimly decided in the cockpit of the crimson Slash ZAKU resigning himself to his inescapable fate.

That's when Michael's GOUF swooped in front of Raid's ZAKU just as the missiles were about to strike.

Graves words before the missiles struck were "You owe me for this one Craft."

The missiles slammed into the black and blue GOUF and created a fantastic explosion, which engulfed most of the surrounding area in smoke and debris. It was a few moments before the outcome of the deadly missile strike could be determined but when the smoke finally did clear Michael's GOUF was seen laying on the ground missing both legs, it's right arm gone, half of it's head unit destroyed and part of it's shoulder shield had cracked and broken away while the remaining piece looked as if it could shatter at any moment itself.

"Graves are you all right?!" Lance shouted out over their radio link hoping that since the cockpit remained in tact his friend had made it.

Before waiting to see if Michael answered Lance or not Raid charged the Hyperion Dawn viciously swinging both of his beam tomahawks "I'll rip you out of the cockpit and crush you with my ZAKU's hands you bastard!"

Eric grimaced and drew his own machines beam saber and went to meet Craft head on bringing his blade down on the red machine which blocked with both of it's melee weapons. Raid activated his Gatlings and received a feeling of satisfaction when the beam shots tore through the Hyperion's upper chest armor forcing the machine to fall backwards. His mood quickly changed though when the Hyperion fired it's CIWS into his left Gatling tearing through the guns barrels and officially making the weapon useless.

A now newly angered Raid rushed towards the Hyperion again but this time Eric had a plan. As soon as the ZAKU came within range of him and was about to lash out at him with it's tomahawks Eric threw his mobile suit to the ground on it's back and just when the ZAKU rushed over sliced off the entire left side of the ZAKU's upper body with his beam saber.

Inside his cockpit Eric was grinning in triumph he quickly got his machine back on it's feet and locked onto the crimson ZAKU with his CIWS. The machines cockpit was not exposed and he planned to exploit that. However, exactly when he was about to pull the trigger and release the metal storm that would finish the red ZAKU something tackled him from behind and knocked his machine back to the ground.

"Game over buddy." He heard someone say triumphantly to him over the radio "Deactivate the saber and don't move."

Eric feeling something prod into his mobile suits back, which he assumed was a beam rifle, immediately complied with the demands and deactivated the deadly beam weapon. For Eric it seemed like it was game over.

When Raid tuned his now damaged ZAKU Phantom around he saw Lances ZAKU standing behind the Eurasian machine with his beam assault rifle pointed into it's back.

"Looks like we win." Raid concluded. That's when the best news he had heard in awhile blasted over the radio.

"All ZAFT forces repeat, all ZAFT forces the Eurasian base has fallen! Repeat the Eurasian base has fallen! ZAFT unit broke through the cities defenses and then overran the base! All units please move out to the base to help secure it!" At that point the message cut off.

"Looks like we'll be moving out from this place soon." Raid said cheerfully as he contacted Lance.

"Yeah at last we can head back out to Gibraltar." Lance responded reciprocating Raid' cheerfulness but also by accident let his beam rifle slip away from the Hyperion's back.

Inside the Hyperion Eric moved with swiftness uncommon to most Naturals and re-ignited his beam saber. Then in one fluid motion turned then Hyperion around and sliced off the orange ZAKU's arm. Then pushing his thrusters to maximum knocked the ZAFT machine out of the way landing a safe distance away Eric shouted out "We'll finish another day!" Before the red ZAKU opened fire with it's remaining Gatling forcing Eric to run off down a nearby street in order to escape the ZAFT units and locate friendly forces.

"Damn it! That asshole got away!" Lance angrily shouted and cursed from his now armless mobile suit.

"Don't sweat it Lance. Besides I've got a feeling we'll meet that guy again." Raid comforted his friend, and subordinate while absently staring at the place where the Hyperion disappeared.

"Yeah your right I guess." Lance agreed although he still sounded someone bitter over losing the Eurasian machine "I guess we need to move out to that base now huh?"

"Yeah we do." Raid replied simply while waiting on what he knew would blast over his and Lance's radios any second.

"You guys had better not leave me behind because I'll kick both of your asses all the way up to the PLANTs if you do!" The angry voice of Michael Graves threatened over the radio.

"Good to hear that you're still with us." Raid started approaching the downed GOUF.

"Yeah it would've been a shame for the Grave Digger to have dug his own grave." Lance joked as he too approached his comrade's fallen mobile suit.

"Shut it flamer and just carry me to the damned base." Michael seethed at Lance.

"Sorry buddy don't have any arms." Lance nonchalantly informed Michael.

"I'll do it." Raid moved his ZAKU over the GOUF and used his machines single remaining arm to pick up the machine by it's waist and started to walk off towards the base through the ruined streets of Paris.

"Hey Raid wait up!" Lance called out after his friend as he pressed down on the ZAKU's foot pedals and chased after Raid as he continued onwards towards the newly captured enemy base.

Authors Notes: Well that does it for part one of this three shot. Hope everyone enjoyed it and just keep in mind this is only the beginning of a much bigger story. Just stay tuned for the next chapter and on a side not have a happy Halloween!

P.S. here are the specs for the Hybrid GOUF Ignited and Hyperion Dawn

Rau Le Creuset 88

**Model Number**: ZGMF-2000/V 

**Code Name**: Hybrid GOUF Ignited

**Unit Type**: Customized Mass Produced Commander Mobile Suit

**Manufacturer**: Integrated Design Bureau

**First Deployment**: C.E. 73

**Operator**: ZAFT (Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty)

**Accommodation**: pilot only in standard cockpit in main body

**Dimensions**: 19.20 meters

**Weight**: 79.48 metric tons

**Construction**: Unknown

**Power plant**: ultracompact energy battery

**Equipment and design features**: Hardwired Hybrid Wizard pack, sensors, range unknown

**Fixed Armaments**: MMI-M826 "Hydra" Gatling beam cannon (mounted on right side of backpack)

AGZ-139 16-tube "Firebee" missile launcher (mounted on left side of backpack)

M181SE "Draupnir" 4-barrel beam gun (mounted on left forearm)

MA-M757 "Slayer Whip" heat rod (mounted in left forearm; produces electrical shock)

Shield (connected to left arm)

MA-M8Z5 beam saber x2 (mounted on hips)

MMI-GAU2 "Picus" 76mm CIWS x2 (mounted in head)

**Optional Fixed Armaments**: MA-88G 57mm beam rifle

**Model Number**: CAT1-01 

**Code Name**: Hyperion Dawn

**Unit Type**: Pre-Mass Production Attack Mobile Suit

**Manufacturer**: Eurasian Federation

**First Deployment**: C.E. 74

**Operator**: Eurasian Federation

**Accommodation**: pilot only in standard cockpit in main body

**Dimensions: **16.9meters

**Weight**: 56.7 metric tons

**Construction**: Unknown

**Power plant**: ultracompact energy battery, reserve battery for lightwave generators

**Equipment and design features**:

**Fixed Armaments**: "Armure Lumiere" mono-phase lightwave shield x2 (mounted on forearms)

"Eos" ERM-564B 12.5mm CIWS x2 (mounted in head)

RBW Type 7005 beam saber x2 (mounted in legs)

"Helios" GMX-NVB485C beam cannon x2 (folded over back; flip over shoulders in use)

EFV-48 high explosive grenade x4 (two mounted on each hip)

EFK-GR45G75 2-tube splinter missile launcher x2 (one on each leg)

**Optional Fixed Armaments**: RFW-100 "Selene" beam sub-machine gun


	2. The Fall of Heaven

The Decline of Man

Disclaimer: Let me just say that I don't own Gundam Seed or Seed Destiny. I do own Michael Graves, Lance Roberts, Eric Hiltz, Raid Craft, Irene Carmack, the Hybrid GOUF Ignited, and Hyperion Dawn. Also this is a three shot preview of a Seed story I'm planning upon doing after I finish my Kingdom Hearts fic so I hope you enjoy it.

Waters around Heavens Base, Iceland Cosmic Era, 74

There were only three hours left until the ultimatum given to the Logos members hiding in the Earth Alliance's supreme headquarters, Heavens Base, expired. After that the combined ZAFT and rogue Earth Alliance naval fleets waiting outside the base would engage the base and take the Logos members and their leader Djibril by force.

Behind the Earth Alliance fleet and in the middle of the ZAFT formation, on one of the many decks of the ZAFT _Vosgulov_ class submarine _Ambrose_ three pilots sat and observed the enemy fortress from afar. Two wore the undone coats of ZAFT reds with civilian clothes underneath while the other wore the undone white jacket of a commander with white underneath.

"Do you think it's right for us to put those guys out in front of us like that? You know, use them as shields." Lance Roberts asked of his two comrades, pointing towards the rogue EA fleet assembled in front of them.

"No I don't think it's right, former enemies or know those people are with us now trying to take down a common enemy. Something about that just doesn't sit right with me." Michael Graves' sprawled out form answered from Roberts' left. Graves was clad in a pair of dark blue jeans and had a gray t-shirt on underneath his ZAFT red jacket which bore the emblem of a black winged, scythe wielding, Grim Reaper. His jacket also had it's sleeves rolled up which was a distinct trademark of the 'Grave Digger'

"That may be true Michael but lets remember that allies though they are they are still not a part of ZAFT. The lives of the soldiers entrusted to and belonging to our own military should take precedence over the lives of a few ally turncoats." The white-jacketed Raid Craft countered his XO and friends statement taking his usual stance whenever someone criticized the actions of the military he aligned himself with. If they were wrong that meant he was wrong and Raid Craft did not like being wrong.

Michael was about to open his mouth to debate the subject further when Lance stopped him "Don't even bother with it Michael, you know how Craft is with this kind of stuff, you'll never win or for that matter make any headway with him if you start an argument."

At this Raid turned and looked at Lance who was wearing a pair of old faded jeans and a black shirt with a burning flame as well as his redcoat jacket "I'm not like that." He said indignantly "I'm not sure what would give you the idea that I am."

Lance seemed to ponder on this for a moment before his thoughtful look went away and he turned to look at Raid "Remember a month or so back when we were in Gibraltar?"

"Yeah what's your point?" Raid asked not fully seeing where Lance was going with this.

"My point is do you remember when we were about to go into town and you had to go to the bathroom and went into the wrong one?"

Raid's face suddenly lit up and turned red with realization "You mean when I went in didn't notice that there were no urinals and walked completely by chance into the unlocked stall that Katrina was in?"

"Aye buddy now your catchin on! How could you ever forget seeing a total hottie like Katrina Silverburgh like that?" Lance asked as he recollected their fellow female ZAFT soldier.

"The point Lance here is trying to make Raid," Michael took over seeing as how Lance had become lost in his own fantasies about Katrina "is that even after she managed to cover herself, call you a perverted, disgusting, creep, and physically hurl you out of the bathroom before going back to whatever it was she was doing, you still refused to admit you were wrong. You even came up with that ridiculous excuse that they changed the bathrooms around"

"He's right bud. Essentially it's the same as this situation with using the EA fleet as a shield." Lance chimed in, coming out of his fantasy world "Your afraid if ZAFT's wrong you are wrong by extension and fact is you don't like to be wrong."

Craft stood there looking frustrated, trying desperately to find something to point to the contrary of what his two friends were saying but as hard as he tried he could not. However, his lips did curl up into a smirk when he found something else to say "Yeah but, despite what you say I got to 'see' Katrina and I've got to say I'd do it again to see something like that.

"Yeah…there is that." Lance grinned a dreamy look coming over his face, causing him to vacantly stare out at Heavens Base.

Michael looked as if he was about to bring his fist down on the back of Michael's head. Michael unbeknownst to the other two had long harbored a crush for the lovely Katrina Silverburgh and he had finally had it with Lance's perverted daydreams about her. It was when he was bringing down his balled fist that the missile barrage was fired from Heavens Base causing him to stop.

The missiles predictably slammed into the EA fleet before they even managed to get close to ZAFT. The missiles even managed to sink a few of the EA vessels.

"Jesus Christ!" Michael shouted trying to stand as shockwaves resulting from the missiles crashing into the other vessels caused the _Ambrose_ to rock from side to side.

"But the ultimatum isn't even up yet! Lance yelled disbelievingly, checking his watch to make sure he wasn't wrong, and just as he thought there were still a few hours to go.

"Looks like they wanted to start the party early. Well If they want to dance we'll just have to oblige." Craft turned took back inside the _Ambrose_ running towards the pilot's locker room from which he would proceed to the hanger where his custom colored Slash ZAKU Phantom was waiting.

"He's right. So I guess that means it is showtime." Lance said as he steadied himself against the _Ambrose's_ hull.

Michael merely nodded his agreement as he and Lance took off after Raid following him into the _Ambrose_ towards the pilot's locker room.

Ten minutes later all three aces were seated in the cockpits of their respective custom colored machines.

"All right lets rock and roll!" Lance shouted at the top of his lungs before launching out of one of the submarines three vertical launch catapults riding atop one of ZAFT's Guul atmospheric support craft.

He was soon followed by Craft whose machine was also using a Guul "This is Commander Craft. I'm taking off." The Guul riding ZAKU then shot out of the catapult and followed after Lance.

The last to leave was Michael who unlike his teammates did not require a Guul because his GOUF's flight pack gave it sustained flight in the atmosphere "This is Graves, heading out." Michael informed the bridge crew before he rocketed out into the open air and soared after his comrades, quickly catching up to them as the trio arrived at the massive battlefield that was, Heaven's base.

The Craft team soon found themselves caught up in the conflict when they were targeted by a five-man squad of Jet striker pack equipped Windams.

"Scatter!" Raid yelled as he cut the engines in his Guul, which promptly caused the machine to drop in order to avoid a swarm of "Drache" and "Wurger" missiles as well as the odd beam rifle shot. From his rapidly declining altitude Raid saw Graves barrel roll out of the way while Lance gunned his Guul's thrusters and accelerated to higher altitudes.

After making sure he was clear Raid reactivated the Guul's engines and targeted the machines with his Gatlings, beam assault rifle, and the Guul's own missile launchers "Payback's a bitch." Craft murmured venomously as all of the weapons fired and reduced two of the Jet Windams to lowly piles of scrap and falling shrapnel.

Up above Raid, Lance was dive-bombing down towards one of the other Windam's beam tomahawk in hand. The Windam seemed to hear to the roar of the Guul's engines and turned just in time to see the ZAKU hurl it's tomahawk before jetting back up to higher altitudes. The last thing the Windam's pilot ever saw was the spinning tomahawk getting bigger and bigger on his monitors until it smashed through the machines cockpit causing it to explode.

Michael meanwhile was locked in a beam saber duel with one of the other Windams who had to grudgingly admit was pretty good. However the pilot was unimaginative so when Michael suddenly punched the offending machines chest with his GOUF's left arm and started firing his 4-barrel beam gun at point blank range into the cockpit the pilot was to say the least a little surprised until his body was ripped apart and his machine exploded that is.

Michael was not finished though, putting his saber back in it's spot on the GOUF's hip Michael drew his machines beam rifle and targeted the remaining Windam who was in the process of fleeing the two ZAFT machines and fired an emerald beam directly through the machines back which quickly penetrated the chest and caused the Windam to float in the air for a moment before it exploded and rained down metal fragments on the earth below.

"I really hate those things." The Grave Digger muttered as Lance and Craft flew over to his machine.

"So what do we do now boss?" Lance asked Raid who was gazing out across the battlefield.

To tell the truth Raid really didn't know where to start. He saw enemy troops everywhere which included: Windams, Daggers, a new type of gray mobile armor, and five GFAS-X1 Destroy Gundams which he had heard about attacking Berlin.

After a moment of thinking Raid made his decision "Michael I want you to go support the BABI and DINN units over there by those mountains, Lance I want you to help the ground forces take down that new type of mobile armor, they seem to be having trouble with."

"What about you Raid?" Michael asked wondering what exactly his commander was going to be doing during all of this.

"I'm going to take on one of those things." Raid's ZAKU turned it's head towards one of the Destroy Gundams and flashed it's monoeye as though the machine were somehow angered by the very presence of the Destroy.

"A Destroy! Craft are you out of your mind?! Those things are massive and besides that most of our battleships have less firepower than one of those things!" Lance lectured, the point about the Destroy's firepower being highlighted when it single handedly destroyed an Alliance destroyer in a single shot.

"He's right Raid, it's suicide to take on one of those things alone. Let one of us help you." Michael pleaded somewhat more calmly than Lance.

"No, I'm engaging it alone. Now go and do as I say!" Raid barked before he increased the power going to the Guul's thrusters and jetted off towards the Destroy.

"Idiot." Michael muttered as he watched Raid fire a contingent of missiles from his Guul at the Destroy.

"But he's our idiot and I'm going to do what our idiot said even though he's doing probably the stupidest thing imaginable right now." Lance activated his Guul's own thrusters and shot off towards the ground where ZAFT ground troops were being decimated by the EA's new mobile armor.

Michael took one more parting glance at Raid's ZAKU before deciding to follow his commander's orders and flew off towards the mountainside to assist the ZAFT air forces.

Irene Carmack sat comfortably in the massive cockpit of her GFAS-X1 Destroy Gundam. The thing that Irene loved most about the unit besides the comfortable cockpit design was that the unit was virtually unquestioned in terms of combat strength and weapons power.

As if to provide emphasis to herself Irene targeted an incoming squadron of BABI units with her machines massive, back mounted beam cannons and vaporized them.

"To easy." Irene laid back in the machines cockpit chair reveling in the unit's power.

Irene wasn't really a bad person and didn't really have anything against coordinators in the least but she took a vow to her homeland to defend it when it called her and that's what she was doing. Today ZAFT had also caught Irene in a bad mood. Earlier that morning before the ZAFT and rogue Earth Alliance fleet had even arrived Irene had been eating in the bases mess hall with a couple of fellow male pilots who were all gawking over a new female transferee who just so happened to be well equipped in the upper chest area.

This normally would not have annoyed Irene but without warning one of her male companions and suddenly turned and commented that the transferee, Melissa, was ten times bigger than her when it came to chest size.

This infuriated Irene because ever since she had been thirteen and her body had started to mature she had always remained mostly flat chested, frustratingly stuck in A-cups. Her body had of course compensated for this by giving her an immensely proportioned rear however, no one ever noticed that or hit on her about that, all that mattered was that she was flat chested and obviously had no other 'assets' to offer.

The very thought of it infuriated Irene so much that she did not even see the Guul riding ZAKU coming up on her monitors or radar and only noticed it when missiles fired from the machines Guul struck her Destroy.

"Oh boy did you pick the wrong day pal!" Irene thundered, her machine locking on to the ZAKU and firing large swarms of missiles from it's multipurpose missile launchers as if to personify Irene's ill contempt for the machine.

"Shit!" Raid cursed, quickly pulling back on one of his machines throttles, which caused the ZAKU to fly backwards and then fired large amounts of beam fire from his Gatlings in order to stave off the missile swarm.

The attack did destroy the majority of the missiles but some managed to get through the fierce beam fire and destroyed Craft's beam assault rifle, blew off his left shoulder shield, and annihilated one of his chest vents.

"You'll pay for that." Craft muttered darkly, drawing his machines MA-MX Falx G7 beam axe he charged the Destroy firing his Gatlings, the thrusters on his Guul screaming as they were almost pushed past their limits.

"So you want to play it that way do you? Fine then, I'll be happy to give you your wish." Irene released her machines "Sturm Faust" detachable arms, which flew up in front of the Destroy and took firing positions, then targeted the ZAKU with her backpack cannons. When Irene heard the click that signaled the targeting computer had achieved a lock, she squeezed the trigger and fired.

Michael was finding it frustrating trying to destroy the groups of Launcher Daggers and Launcher Windams near the base of the cliffside even with the assistance of ZAFT's air units. The reason for this was because of the superior firepower afforded by the Launcher packs; they were practically untouchable, couple that with the fact that the Launcher Daggers were immune to beam weapons and you had yourself a serious problem.

Michael watched as another two of the units DINNs and a BABI were shot down by the machines formidable "Agni" hyper impulse cannons.

'This is ludicrous and I've had enough of it!" Michael shouted finally fed up with the situation entirely, he dove down from the sky weaving in between all forms of enemy fire before coming to rest in front of one of the Launcher Daggers. Michael armed his backpacks missile pod and triggered a rush of missiles before the Dagger even had time to react, resulting in the Earth Forces aligned machine being reduced to a jagged pile of scrap.

Michael's next target was a Windam who was firing at him with it's anti-ship Vulcan gun. Michael charged forward evading the aggressing machines entirely before drawing a beam saber and burying it in the machines chest. Michael withdrew the weapon and flew over towards another Dagger and ensnared it with his heat rod before the Windam even exploded.

As for the ensnared Dagger Michael sent an electrical shock through the whip, which electrified the pilot and fried most of the units onboard weapon systems to boot. After a few seconds of doing this the heat being emitted from the constricting whip melted through the Daggers armor and ripped the machine in half causing the upper portion to explode and the lower part to fall limply into the snow.

Unbeknownst to Michael while doing this he had been targeted by three Launcher Windams who were about to wipe him off the face of the Earth when a trio of BABIs in their mobile armor mode, swooped in and turned the opposing Windams into Swiss cheese with there contingent of weapons, saving Michaels life.

Michael radioed his thanks to the BABIs and blew the head off of another of the Windams when something happened that none of the ZAFT forces had been expecting.

The cliffside were Michael was fighting started to slide out of the way revealing a large white obelisk in the middle of an even larger dish pointed directly at the ZAFT reinforcements being dropped from orbit by ZAFT's _Gondwana_ carrier.

"What the hell is that?" Graves found himself asking but he soon got an answer when dozens of beams shot out from the center spire into the mirrors that covered the dish. Upon striking the dish all of the beams were reflected out of the dish and shot down all of ZAFT's reinforcements falling from orbit.

Michael couldn't believe what he had just seen. All of the dropping reinforcements had been obliterated in the blink of an eye. Deep inside Michael anger unlike anything he had ever felt before began to well up.

"_How could those Logos bastards have done this?"_ Michael found it barbaric that they could so callously use a weapon like that to blow defenseless drop pods right out of the sky, even if they contained mobile suits inside. Suddenly Michael's anger exploded and inside his minds eye a dark blue seed shattered.

Michael shut his eyes and when he reopened them they were completely clear. Michael suddenly with pushed his thrusters to maximum with a reflex speed he had never had before and shot skyward up towards the Nibelung cannon. Upon arriving at the cannon Michael found his passage blocked by two Jet Windams.

The Windams opened fire with their beam rifles, missiles, and CIWS but Michael countered them by bringing up his shoulder shield, while also firing his own CIWS and his backpacks beam Gatling gun.

The GOUF managed to destroy the missiles, and shrugged off the CIWS, and suffered minimum damage from the beam rifles besides having his right hips beam saber blown off.

Inside the Hybrid GOUF's cockpit Graves couldn't help but smile "My turn." Pulling his shield back to the side Michael drew his remaining beam saber and flew towards the two Windams at neck breaking speed while firing his Gatling. Michael corkscrewed his GOUF right between the two enemy units firing at the one on the lefts chest with his Gatling and CIWS, while cutting the other in half, in addition to severing both of it's arms.

The two Windams exploded raining shrapnel down on some the Nibelung's mirrors cracking and damaging some of them.

Michael however, flew in front of the cannons central spire and after sheathing his beam saber and replacing it with his beam rifle, locked onto the spire with his Gatling, missile launcher, CIWS, 4-barrel beam gun, and beam rifle. Graves then pulled the trigger that released an inescapable barrage of beam and shellfire at the stationary beam-generating spire.

After about a minute of relentless firing, the spire was pounded into a twisted, and broken heap of metal that would never be able to work again.

Inside the GOUF's cockpit Michael's eyes returned to normal as he exited Seed mode, breathing heavily. Michael noticed that down below him the air forces had finished off the group of Launcher pack equipped units.

"A small victory I suppose." Michael concluded calmly as he turned his GOUF around and watched as the battle for Heavens Base began to enter it's final stages.

Lance had seen the Nibelung fire and wipe out the orbital reinforcements but he was to far away to provide assistance with the destruction of the cannon. So instead he decided to stick with his original mission, which was to attempt to provide assistance to a group of Gunner ZAKU Warriors who were trying to take down three of the new Euclid mobile armors.

The Gunners had already tried to blast the Euclids to smithereens with their powerful cannons but because of the Euclids positron deflectors the beams were simply deflected. Lance also found himself wincing when the Euclids blew four of the remaining ten Gunner ZAKUs apart with their long beam cannons.

One of the Euclids tried to charge a ZAKU while firing it's 7-barrel Gatling machine guns. Lance however, swooped down and drove the Euclid off by firing his Guul's remaining missiles at the mobile armor.

Something Lance was not expecting though was when he was climbing back into the air one of the Euclids actually propelled itself into the air after him.

"Not good!" Lance shouted, firing up the Guul's thrusters to try and escape the pursuing mobile armor but did not manage to escape without the Euclid destroying the Guul's now empty missile launchers with it's machine guns.

Lance tried every evasive pattern he knew of to try and shake the Euclid but no matter what he tried he just couldn't shake it. If he'd juke left it would juke left, if he'd juke right it would juke right. It just seemed like there was no way to shake the formidable mobile armor.

"_Not to mention to the damn thing wan stop shooting at me."_ Lance mentally noted right when a beam shot ripped through the bottom of his Guul, destroying systems and shredding metal as it went. _"Damn that's not good." _Lance looked at his damage indicator and saw that the Guul was critically damaged and could explode at any moment. "If there was just some way to turn that to my advantage…wait I've got it!" The Burning Flame of ZAFT shouted after a few moments of contemplating how to turn the situation to his advantage.

Lance started to slowly decelerate the Guul so as not to cause the craft to immediately explode and thumbed the button that would release the foot locks holding his Blaze ZAKU Phantom to it. When the Euclid was to close to possibly have a chance of avoiding the Guul Lance disengaged the footlocks and leapt into freefall from the atmospheric support craft.

Inside the Euclids cockpit the pilot managed to curse before his machine crashed into the doomed Guul, which exploded upon contact. The entire front of the Euclid was critically damaged and all of the machines weapons were destroyed.

Unbeknownst to the machines pilot Lance had maneuvered his still falling ZAKU directly under the mobile armor and had locked onto it's vulnerable bottom with his "Firebee" missile launchers "Adios buddy!" As soon as he'd made his goodbye remarks to the Euclid Lance squeezed the triggers for his launchers and released a rush of missiles that flew up and tore the Euclid apart from the bottom up.

After using his boosters to make a relatively soft landing, Lance approached the remaining Gunner ZAKUs who were still under siege from the two remaining Euclids. At present one of the pair of Euclids was trying to charge the Gunners whose beams just like before were bouncing off of the positron reflector.

"Theyre has to be a way to destroy those things, I just can't imagine what they would be." Lance thought aloud as he hurled one of his grenades at the Euclid and saw that it damaged one of mobile armors cannons when it exploded. "Solution found!" Lance shouted victoriously as he drew two more grenades from his ZAKU's hips and hurled them at the reflector generators on the mobile armors flanks.

Before the Euclid could destroy the explosives with it's machine guns the grenades detonated and ruined each of the positron reflector generators.

"Now! Shoot it now!" Lance commanded the Gunner ZAKUs who happily complied and speared the now shield less Euclid countless times with their beam cannons before the mobile armor finally exploded in a great ball of fire.

That just left one Euclid. Lance scanned his monitors and radar but despite his efforts was unable to locate the remaining mobile armor.

His search ended though when the screams of one of the Gunner ZAKU's pilots flooded his speakers, alerting him to the enemy's presence. Lance turned to see the Euclid brazenly cruising towards the group of ZAKUs casually mowing them down with it's machine guns and the occasionally blast from one of it's beam cannons.

Lance pulled out his ZAKU's remaining grenade and hurled it at the mobile armors reflector generator but unlike the last time it was destroyed by one of the machines machine guns.

"Damn!" Lance leapt to his left to avoid the seemingly unstoppable mobile armor that almost plowed right through him. However, the ZAKU's left leg was considerably damaged by the Euclid's machine guns in the process.

Knowing it would be a moment before the Euclid could turn to attack again, Lance turned to face the remaining Gunner ZAKUs. The three that were left looked like they wouldn't be able to last much longer, one of them had even lost it's beam cannon, Lance did however, notice that all of them still had their grenades.

Lance activated his radio and contacted the Gunners "When that thing turns back around I want all of you to throw your grenades at it!"

After a moment Lance received a chorus of yes sirs, so he himself turned his machine back around to face the Euclid and drew his remaining beam tomahawk out of it's slot in his ZAKU's shoulder shields.

Lance waited a few seconds and when he saw the Euclid was cruising back towards their group he barked out to the Gunner ZAKUs "Throw the grenades now!"

Barely a second later six fragmentation grenades soared over his head and landed right in the Euclid's path before kicking up massive amounts of snow and tundra when they exploded.

This was what Lance had been waiting for. So firing up all of his ZAKU's thrusters he flew into the small snowstorm beam tomahawk in hand knowing exactly what he needed to do. When Lance got in front of the Euclid it had completely stopped not knowing what had happened, so Lance kicked up his thrusters for one last jump so that he was above the Euclid.

"Your finished!" Lance cried out victoriously as he raised his tomahawk to throw.

Inside the Euclid's cockpit, the mobile armors pilot countered with "I don't think so!" And targeted the orange ZAKU with it's two cannons and fired.

There was a brief flash as the beam weapons connected with the ZAKU's arms blowing them and the shoulder shields connected to them clean off. The Euclid pilot was not able to celebrate for long though because before he had managed to blow off the ZAKU's arms Lance had managed to throw his tomahawk into the Euclid's armor right where the machines reactor was causing it to explode.

Lance's machine was for a moment engulfed by the ensuing explosion but after the smoke had cleared and the snow had settled, he emerged with only the right missile pod of his Blaze pack missing, and some damage to the right side of his machines chest, along with a few burn marks in various places on the ZAKU's armor.

Within the damaged machine, Lance removed his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow "For a second I didn't think I was gonna make it." He muttered while taking in long, deep breaths "And speaking of not making it I wonder how Raid's doing." The odd hair colored pilot wondered before he started to plot about how exactly he was going to get his nearly crippled machine back to the _Ambrose_.

Craft barely managed to pull up in time to avoid the deadly beams from the Destroy's backpack cannons, his shots being deflected by the monstrous suits positron reflector.

Irene grunted as her opponent escaped her attacks and fired another blast from her remote arms, which managed to destroy one of the Guul's empty missile launchers, as well as part of the ZAKU's right shoulder.

In response to Irene's attack Craft maneuvered his machine to the Destroy's left and targeted one of the Destroy's monstrous beam cannons with his Gatlings, to at least try and damage the unit, but got a nasty surprise when Irene fired her machines twenty plasma composite cannons, which encircled the Destroy's backpack, and drove him off as well as shooting down two BABI units and a DINN that were in the area and got caught in the fire.

"Damn does that thing have weapons on every part of it's body?" Raid asked himself as he but a little distance between himself and the massive mobile suit.

"Actually, it does except in a few places." A female voice crackled back over Raid's radio.

"I'm guessing I'm speaking with the pilot?" Raid inquired as he swooped in on his Guul and managed to destroy the machines still detached and firing right arm with his pole axe.

"Yes you are, but may I inquire as to who I'm speaking with?" Irene asked pack over the radio as she docked her remaining arm and converted back to her unit's mobile suit configuration.

"Commander Raid Craft, of the Craft team, and who may I be speaking with?" Raid questioned back as he avoided the massive CIWS rounds being fired from the mammoth Gundams head.

"Irene Carmack of the Heavens Base Destroy unit. A pleasure to make your acquaintance Commander Craft." Irene answered politely while simultaneously aiming at the Guul riding ZAKU with the beam cannons in her machines fingers and fired.

The beams surged past Craft's ZAKU destroying parts of his machines right and left calves, part of it's right shoulder shield, the left arm from the elbow down, and the command antenna atop the machines head.

"_Time to take a leaf out of Michael's book."_ Raid then charged down towards the Destroy pole axe in a swinging position at maximum speed. Irene however, had other ideas and tried to annihilate him with her three chest mounted "Super Scylla" multi-phase beam cannons and her "Zorn Mk2" mouth beam cannon.

Raid wove his Guul riding ZAKU skillfully through the enormous columns of orange and yellow energy until he flew over the Destroy's head and sliced off the barrels of both of the machines monstrous backpack cannons. He then pulled his axe back up and in one deft motion flew down and cleaved off the machines center Scylla cannon.

Craft could hear Irene cursing over the radio as she fired at him with her two remaining chest beam cannons, mouth beam cannon, and finger mounted beam cannons, which he effortlessly dodged because of the poor aim the shots were fired with.

However, unknown to Craft while he had his back turned Irene stopped firing her finger cannons and detached her right arm unit. The remote weapon zoomed away from Irene's Destroy but also kept itself hidden from Craft.

"I'll get you this time Commander." Irene vowed as the remote weapon circled around to the front of his machine while he was dodging her seemingly poorly aimed shots.

At the last moment though right when Irene triggered the blast from her arm mounted cannon Raid turned and saw the remote weapon firing at his cockpit. "I'm going to die." Was the first thought that raced through Raid's mind but it was soon followed by another "No I can't die yet! I won't die yet!" At that moment a gray seed fell in his minds eye and shattered into countless points of light.

Acting with reflexes he had never before displayed Raid detached from his Guul, and using his thrusters, shot up into the air above just as the beam shot passed through where he had been a moment before. Craft then dove down and destroyed the remote weapon with his axe before landing back on his Guul. He then shot off towards Irene's destroy intent on finishing the battle.

Inside her machines cockpit, Irene couldn't believe what she had just seen "No way! How could he have dodged that shot! There's no way he should've been able to do that!" Irene was so caught up with these thoughts that she didn't even fire on Raid's ZAKU as it flew in and sliced her Destroy's head in half, which simultaneously destroyed all of Irene's visual equipment.

Raid however, was not finished and flew down towards the Destroy's legs, which he began to hack away at with his beam axe. Before Irene knew it her machine had been crippled and had fallen to the ground on it's back.

Irene quickly unbuckled herself from the ruined unit's cockpit chair and opened the Destroy's cockpit.

Craft saw what Irene was doing so he quickly disengaged from his Guul and landed the ZAKU, with a thud, in front of the Destroy's wreckage while in the process exiting Seed mode "Hold it right there Irene." He commanded over the ZAKU's outer speakers.

"What do you want now Craft? Do you want to finish me off to make you victory complete?" Irene shouted through cupped hands, angry that her mighty Destroy Gundam had been defeated by a single, lone ZAKU.

"Actually I wanted you to take off your helmet so I can see your face. After that you can leave and do as you please." Craft honestly said back over his outer speakers.

Even though it was a strange request Irene decided to comply if it would guarantee her survival. So Irene pulled off her flight suits helmet to reveal a beautiful woman with milky, pale skin along with short green hair and matching emerald eyes.

Inside his ZAKU Craft couldn't help but marvel at the young pilots beauty and she looked about his age to. However, his thoughts were interrupted by a request from Irene "I would like to see your face Raid Craft."

Raid was a little stunned by Irene's request for a moment "Why should I show you what I look like?"

"Because I showed you what I look like and I want to see if the man who single handedly bested my Destroy is good looking or not!" Irene brazenly yelled up at the crimson ZAKU.

"Fine, fine I'll do it." Raid conceded and while he was waiting for his cockpit hatch to open he removed his own helmet.

When Raid stepped out of the ZAKU even Irene had to admit that he cut quite a dashing figure with his bushy, thick hair, and said looking gray eyes.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Raid much like she had done with him "Good enough or do you want me to come down so you can have a closer look?"

"No Commander Craft. That's good enough." Irene said turning around "Maybe our paths will cross again someday." She said nonchalantly before she started running off through the barren wasteland of snow and fallen mobile suits and armors.

Raid couldn't help but smile while off in the distance The ZGMF-X56S Sword Impulse Gundam, ZGMF-X666S Legend Gundam, and ZGMF-X42S Destiny Gundam finished off the last Destroy unit while at the same time ZAFT forces began to overrun Heavens Base.

That was all well and good but Raid had a small personal victory to celebrate. Sitting back in his cockpit chair and zoomed his monitors in on Irene's retreating form. He couldn't help but thank God for the way that tight flight suit hugged and accentuated her backside in all the right places.

So for the first time ever and unbeknownst to Irene someone said "Damn Irene, nice ass!"

Authors Notes: Well that was a fun chapter to write and I hoped the readers enjoyed it. Also three cheers for Irene everyone! Anyway next ones the last one for this prequel so everyone stay tuned for a few twists and surprises.

Rau Le Creuset 88


	3. Parting of Ways

The Decline of Man

Disclaimer: Let me just say that I don't own Gundam Seed or Seed Destiny. I do own Michael Graves, Lance Roberts, Eric Hiltz, Raid Craft, Irene Carmack, the Hybrid GOUF Ignited, and Hyperion Dawn. Also this is a three shot preview of a Seed story I'm planning upon doing after I finish my Kingdom Hearts fic so I hope you enjoy it.

Lunar Orbit, Cosmic Era, 74

Above and around the moon the final battle of the war was being waged by ZAFT forces and the combined Orb-Earth Alliance fleet. Every moment ships were being blasted from stem to stern and mobile suits were being obliterated taking with them countless numbers of human life. In the middle of this great conflict onboard the _Nazca_ class destroyer _Newton_, Michael Graves stood at a viewing area, his deep, entrancing, blue eyes roving over the battlefield observing everything that occurred.

"This is nothing but a slaughter. A pointless slaughter that is only happening because one army is bigoted and the other is being led by a man trying to pretend he's god." Michael menacingly concluded, his face contorting with disgust as he saw two Murusame mobile suits explode in a shower of shrapnel.

"Be careful Graves. I'm pretty sure if anyone heard you make a statement like that they'd view it as treason. Oh, and isn't it a little hypocritical for someone called "Grave Digger" not to enjoy combat?"

Michael's body at first tensed up, the lights were knocked out in this section of the ship when a stray shot had struck it so that he couldn't see, but then upon recognizing who had spoken to him he relaxed and returned to his original posture "That's a risk I'm willing to take and just because I'm called Grave Digger doesn't mean I live for bloodshed Lance."

"Maybe so," Lance walked closer, his features being highlighted whenever an explosion from outside would light up the darkened viewing area "but you should still watch what you say."

The two stood in silence, the only sounds or motion coming from outside or when the ship would shudder after taking a hit. It continued like this until Michael finally decided to let out what had been on his mind.

"I'm just tired of it Lance. Think about it for a minute. In the last war we were nuked by the Earth forces and in retaliation nearly destroyed the entire planet with GENESIS. Then more recently they tried to nuke us again and we fought back with the Neutron Stampeder, then there was that weapon that I destroyed during Operation Ragnarok, and now more recently Logos' Requiem laser." Graves stopped for a moment and his voice suddenly became razor sharp "Have you noticed we haven't destroyed that thing yet?"

Lance stood looking down at his friend and comrade with a dumbstruck expression "Actually…no." He said after a brief pause.

"Exactly. Did it also not occur to you that Durandal's Destiny Plan essentially puts the entire earth sphere under his control. I mean all the countries that have agreed to it have practically declared him god."

Lance did not answer immediately. He only stood there, his dumbfounded look now replaced with one of the utmost seriousness and concentration. "Have you explained any of this to Raid?"

Michael gave a brief snort "You think he'd listen to or believe it? You know as well as I do Craft just can't accept the fact that sometimes he's wrong. If ZAFT's wrong then that means he's wrong just be being associated with them and he just couldn't except something like that."

Lance couldn't do anything but agree with that. Their friend and commander had always been this way, even over minor things like that incident with Katrina in the bathroom.

"So what are you going to do?"

The question caused Michael's serious look to shift to one of sorrow and regret "The only thing that can be done." He said standing up from the couch "If things go to far then I'll step in and do everything I can to stop it." His eyes shifted towards the floor and his hands clenched before adding, "Even if that means fighting against ZAFT."

The seriousness of the moment was cut down by Lance's good-natured humor "You do realize your talking about something that can be considered treason, again, right?"

Graves sighed before turning to face Lance "So what are you going to do about it? Turn me in? Say nothing? What?"

"None of the above. I'm going to fight with you." Lance said, a devilish grin playing across his face.

The answer caught Michael off guard but he quickly recovered and sarcastically said "So you do realize what your doing is considered treason right?"

"Ah shut up Grave Digger." Lance muttered before slapping him on the back and saying they needed to get to the hanger and launch. That Raid was waiting for them.

"Yeah he is isn't he." Michael halfheartedly said as he and Lance took off towards the pilots locker room, and then the hanger were their commander would no doubt be waiting in his crimson ZAKU.

Edge of the Battlefield, hanger of the refit _Agamemnon_ class flagship, _Ivan III_

Former 1st Lieutenant Molly Rosewood sat in the cockpit of her custom Gunbarrel Windam. Molly was a tall woman who usually had her long brown hair pulled back into two French braids that were visible through the helmet of her flight suit.

She and the entire crew of the ship _Ivan III_ had defected from the Atlantic Federation a few months before. They were tired of working for an organization controlled by bigots and one day when they were out on patrol with two Nelson class ships just took off. The ships other pilots were killed while covering _Ivan III's_ escape leaving only the spatially aware enhanced Molly to defend the ship.

Up unto this point they had served as mercenaries, performing jobs for clients in exchange for payment and repairs and supplies for their ship and mobile suit. Molly's unique abilities and exceptional fighting abilities always brought high paying clients and her reputation as the Earth Alliances former "Shinigami Sniper" helped as well.

Looking back on the past few months Molly didn't regret her decision in the slightest. Now she and her comrades were here to finish this conflict once and for all.

Suddenly the voice of the ships captain blared over her cockpit's speakers _"Molly are you ready to launch?"_

"Yes Captain I was just making some last minute adjustments before launch." She replied while adjusting the gloves of her flight suit, which was styled like the original Bio CPU's and was colored in a black, and violet scheme like her Windam.

"_All right. Just bare in mind once you enter the battlefield we won't be able to support you. You'll be on your own."_ The Captain reminded her for about the hundredth time since they had arrived at the battlefield.

"I know and I'm okay with it." Molly assured, giving the answer she had been giving to the question since she was first asked.

"_Okay then Rosewood good hunting."_ The Captain's voice blared one last time.

Molly moved her Windam over to the ship's single linear catapult and gripped the controls when she felt the device's foot locks clamp onto her machines feet. "This is Rosewood, I'm taking off!" Molly radioed up to the bridge before the catapult hurled her machine out of the ship and into the abyss towards the battlefield.

Lunar Orbit, Battlefield

Raid Craft let out a mighty battle cry as he cut through an enemy Murusame unit with his pole axe.

"Damn those things are annoying!" The young commander shouted as his beam Gatlings targeted one of the machines that had converted to it's Mobile Armor form and turned it into Swiss cheese.

Nearby Graves hacked through a Dagger L with his GOUF's beam saber and then turned, firing his CIWS into the head of an enemy Jet Windam.

The now blinded enemy was quickly felled by a shot from Lance's ZAKU's beam rifle "Like shooting fish in a barrel." He remarked cockily.

Lance's radar suddenly went off showing enemy movement behind him. He turned his machine to see another Jet Windam preparing to cut him down with a beam saber but before realization of the situation could even set in and before the Windam could bring the saber down, an emerald beam ripped it's cockpit asunder causing the machine to detonate.

"Watch out Lance some of those fish can fight back." Graves lectured sarcastically his beam rifle still aimed at the remains of the Earth Alliance machine.

"Hate it when he does that." The Burning Flame mumbled under his breath before quietly thinking _"Except in this instance."_

Within the cockpit of his Hybrid GOUF Ignited, Michael once again gazed out at the battlefield. _"Is this really what it comes down to? People always constantly fighting over how others are born and hating them for it? Is this the way the world is truly destined to be?" _

"Michael look out!" Graves heard Craft's voice yell urgently.

Michael moved his GOUF just in time so that only the spikes on his shoulder shield were cut away by the Dagger L's beam saber. A moment later Raid's Gatlings ripped the Earth Alliance machine apart.

"What are you doing Graves?! Pay attention or you'll get shot down!" His superior scolded as he simultaneously cut down another enemy unit.

Before Graves could respond a sudden beeping noise began to emanate from one of the monitors in his cockpit. Graves, still mindful of the battle going on around him, glanced down and read the message being displayed on the screen. The message read that Requiem was being charged and as soon as it was ready would be fired on Orb. The message then went on to show the firing solution for the laser and warn all ZAFT ships and mobile suits to avoid it.

Michael was horrified _"They're actually going to fire that thing at Orb! That's totally unjustified and uncalled for!"_ Michael mentally yelled glaring at the monitor all the while before Lance's voice broke his reverie.

"Hey did you guys get that message about Requiem firing?"

"Yeah." Raid answered, "If we can take out Orb this battle will be meaningless and then the Orb fleet will have to surrender."

Raid's answer nearly made Michael choke "Craft can you hear yourself?!" Michael demanded of his friend "Fire on Orb? Think of all the civilian life that'll be destroyed if we do that!"

Michael turned his glance to another smaller window on his man screen where Raid and Lance's faces had appeared.

Raid appeared to look conflicted behind the visor of his flight helmet for a moment but he quickly shook it off "I'm sure it's in the best interest of the PLANTs and besides if we do this the war will end and we can ensure peace."

"No it's in Durandal's best interest! Orb is the only force really opposing Durandal right now and if they're removed from the equation then he wins!" Michael shot back angrily at Craft's window.

"Durandal is the Chairman!" Raid retorted "The head of ZAFT! If ZAFT wins then the PLANTs win, and if the PLANTs, win we win! What could possibly be wrong with Durandal winning then?"

"Don't you see you idiot? Durandal is trying to play god with this whole Destiny Plan! If he wins then the entire world will just be enslaved to his will!" Michael snarled the answer back at his friend who was beginning to look just as furious as Michael.

It was at this point Lance decided to interject. "Craft the point is Durandal's abusing his authority and if we don't do something the whole worlds going to be a whole lot worse because of it." He explained to his friend and commander much more calmly than Graves.

There was a long silence between the three mobile suit pilots for what seemed like eons. In the window on his screen Michael could see Raid wore what appeared to be a stunned and shocked expression. Probably because he never would've imagined he would be hearing this kind of things from his closest friends and comrades.

However, after the countless minutes had ticked by Raid's expression hardened and became stern and serious. "I see." He said solemnly "In that case I have no choice but to either disable or destroy you.

Before Michael could shout at Raid Lance beat him to it "Don't be a fool Raid! We don't have to fight! You must realize this is wrong or even if you don't you can just get out of our way!"

"No Lance I'm not being a fool. I'm simply dealing with two traitors who threaten the peaceful and secure future of the PLANTs." Raid replied coldly as he move his ZAKU in front of the GOUF and other ZAKU.

Lance was about to say something when Michael cut him off "Don't waste your breath Lance. He doesn't care a damn thing about what he just said! All he cares about is being wrong and if we have take him down in order to do what's right then so be it." Michael growled drawing one of his GOUF's beam sabers with his GOUF's right hand.

Lance couldn't believe what he had just heard and slowly backed his ZAKU away from the Hybrid GOUF and its ignited beam weapon. "How did we come to this point?" He found himself asking as he watched the crimson Slash ZAKU Phantom and black and blue Hybrid GOUF Ignited stare each other down.

Then almost without warning the two machines dashed towards each other weapons locking in a brilliant display of light.

The two machines appeared deadlocked but suddenly Michael opened fire with his "Hydra" beam Gatling and shredded the Gatling above Raid's ZAKU's right shoulder. The resulting explosion knocked the crimson machine backwards and away from Michael's GOUF.

"Lance now! Get to Requiem and take it out!" The Grave Digger barked at the Burning Flame.

Up until now Lance had been watching in horrified fascination as Commander and XO battled but Michael's command brought him back to reality.

"Okay Ghouly just make sure you and Raid don't beat each other up to badly while I'm gone." Lance remarked, amazed at his own ability to be sarcastic even in a time and situation like this before activating his machines thrusters and darting off towards the Moon's surface

Michael smiled and for a moment glanced at his friend's slowly vanishing mobile suit but quickly had to tear his eyes away for Raid was upon him.

"Damn it Michael! How could you?!" The gray-eyed mobile suit demanded as he brought his pole axe down which was blocked by the GOUF's shoulder shield.

Michael snorted "I told you already! Durandal is in the wrong and because of that I won't fight for him! Michael pushed Raid back and lashed out with his beam saber but the ZAKU nimbly avoided the attack.

Raid glared at the dark colored ZAFT machine and targeted it with his remaining Gatling while rushing forward again with his pole axe. Once again his axe's swing was blocked however, as soon as the weapons locked Raid's Gatling opened fire and reduced Michael's own Gatling was reduced to shrapnel.

Michael was momentarily stunned but quickly drove Raid backwards with his CIWS before he could attack again. _"Damn that puts us back on even terms!"_ Michael mentally cursed _"But he forgets he's dealing with the Grave Digger."_

Michael kept firing with his CIWS but with his left arm drew his beam rifle and added that to the contingent of fire that danced through space at the crimson ZAKU.

Raid was not quite pleased with this. Michael had it so he had no way to counterattack only stay on the defensive. "There has to be some way out of this." He commented as he felt one of the emerald bolts from Michael's beam rifle strike his shoulder shield.

That's when he saw the ruined remains of a _Laurasia_ class frigate and a light bulb went off in his head.

Within his GOUF Michael saw the ZAKU fly into the ships wreckage and took the opportunity to check his machines systems. Everything came up green except for his damaged Gatling and the fact that his careless firing of the CIWS had depleted a large amount of their ammunition.

"Looks like were playing hide and go seek now." Michael slid his beam rifle back behind his machines waist and made sure his missile launcher would be ready at a moments notice before firing up his thrusters and taking off towards the ruined frigate.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Lance's ZAKU was pushing it's thrusters to the limit in it's attempt to reach the moon. Lance still couldn't believe his two best friends were currently locked in combat but he pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

He shot past two Gunner ZAKU Warriors who let him shoot past because of his still ZAFT friendly IFF.

"_This may be easier than I thought."_ Lance mentally considered before two Murusame units in mobile suit form suddenly barred his path. "Get out of my way!" Lance roared while triggering his missile launchers to release a swarm of missiles at the two Orb machines.

The missiles slammed into and exploded against the two transformable mobile suits causing them to explode into debris that was flung all over the battlefield.

The ZAKU was still hurtling along it's trajectory after passing through what was left of the two mobile suits when his sensors went off and he felt something that he likened to a battleship crashing into his mobile suit.

"What the hell?" Lance mumbled after regaining control of his machine, which had been, launched into an uncontrolled motion due to two railgun slugs slamming into and destroying his Blaze Wizard pack.

Lance quickly checked his monitors looking for the source of the attack and to his shock and horror saw what could be possibly one of the most famous mobile suits of all time. Hovering not to terribly far from his own machine was the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom whose hip mounted railguns were still smoking from where they had fired upon him.

"Oh God." Was all Lance was able to choke out before the Freedom drew two beam rifles, rearmed its two railguns and began to charge it's chest mounted multi-phase beam cannon.

A torrent of red energy ripped from the machines chest and vaporized the orange ZAKU's head, followed by four beam rifle shots which blew off the machines shoulder shields and ripped into the ZAKU's forearms tearing most of them away and finally two more railgun slugs streaked through the majority of the lower part of the ZAKU's legs.

With that the Freedom activated its thrusters and took off as quickly as it had come leaving behind the disabled and crippled ZAKU of the Burning Flame of ZAFT.

Michael landed his machine on the hull of the crippled frigate, his machines monoeye sensor constantly roving and searching for anything that might be a danger. After a moment, Michael stalked his way across the hull of the ship beam saber at the ready.

It was at that moment Raid struck. Small pellets of beam fire ripped up through the ships hull and stabbed through the GOUF's right leg. This was followed by a thrust of Raid's pole axe coming through the new hole in the ship, which was only narrowly avoided by Michael slamming down on his thrusters.

"I'll make him pay for that." Michael grunted, landing near where the ships bridge had once been.

As Michael was landing Craft emerged from the hole with his pole axe in his machines right arm and his beam assault rifle in the left.

The two stood in begrudging silence looking out at each other before Raid called out "Ready to give up Graves?"

Michael snorted before giving a defiant smirk and crying out "You Wish!" Before his GOUF roared forward to meet Raid's ZAKU. When the two were only fifty meters apart Michael locked on with his missile launcher and triggered a barrage at the crimson ZAKU.

"Shit!" Raid cursed, retaliating against the missiles with his Gatling, which in turn caused the missiles to explode before reaching him.

The resulting explosion gave Michael just the opening he was looking for. After firing the missiles and using the explosions they caused as cover he shot upwards then charged back down at the crimson ZAKU.

It was about this time Craft's sensors alerted him to the presence above him and caused him to see the GOUF diving towards him like a great bird of prey. But this came to late.

Michael brought down his saber and completely severed the ZAKU's left arm, shield and all, then kicked it in the chest with its undamaged leg causing it to fly backwards off the ship and back into open space.

"Are you ready to give up Raid?" Michael mocked his commander before boosting off the ship towards where the ZAKU had stopped.

"Not on your life!" Raid snarled venomously as he flew to meet Michael pole axe in hand.

However, before the two could lock together Raid hurled his pole axe towards the GOUF like a spear. Graves wasn't able to dodge and the weapon plunged into his left leg. Raid then targeted the weapon with his Gatling and opened fire on it causing it to explode taking the whole left leg with it as well as some of the hip armor.

Even after all this Raid was still not satisfied. He quickly drew a beam tomahawk from his remaining shoulder shield and struck out at Michael when he was within range, cleaving off a large portion of the machines right side torso armor.

"Damn!" The Grave Digger cried out furiously as his machine was rocked by explosions and alarms going off. This was capped off by Craft slamming his ZAKU's knee into the GOUF's chest and then kicking it away.

That was when inside Michael's minds eye and dark blue seed exploded into thousands of shards of light. Michael quickly grabbed a hold of his machines controls and redirected it's thrusters so that he would be heading back toward Raid.

"Fine then Michael!" Raid roared as he fired his ZAKU's thrusters and rushed to meet the now paraplegic GOUF. Inside his own minds eye a gray seed exploded causing his eyes to become clear and emotionless like a shark's eyes.

When they both were in range of the other they pulled back their melee weapons and both snarled contemptuously at the other "I'll kill you!" Before beam axe collided with beam saber.

Then things became even more savage. Raid fired his Gatling at the GOUF's right shoulder until coolant seemed to spray out like blood and the arm itself ripped off in a miniature explosion which to an extent damaged the sensitive camera's in the GOUF's head. This took away the GOUF's beam saber and the sudden lack of force moving against it caused the ZAKU's axe to come forward and hack off some more of the GOUF's right side armor as well as one of the wings on its backpack. Despite this, Graves drew his remaining saber and slashed at the ZAKU which countered with it's shield, however, Graves then slammed his left fist into the ZAKU's upper chest and fired his "Draupnir" beam gun which ripped through the ZAKU's upper chest armor and tore through the top of the ZAKU's head destroying some of it's own monitors.

The two suits then flew back from each other attempting to gain some breathing room, before the rushed each other once more.

"CRAFT!"

"GRAVES!"

Four railgun slugs blew through space and blew off the ZAKU's right arm at the elbow, the GOUF's left in the same fashion and both units' heads. The four gunbarrels then spiraled back in on their wires and snapped into place on the Gunbarrel Striker pack.

"I don't know why exactly two ZAFT machines are fighting but something tells me there's an interesting story behind it." Molly 'Shinigami Sniper' Rosewood radioed to the two machines.

"You idiot!" Michael screamed over the radio, which caused Molly to move back slightly in her cockpit seat "I've got to go destroy Requiem and you just effectively blew my last weapons away.

"Well excuse me!" Molly shouted back just as loudly after she had recovered from Michaels verbal assault "I just didn't see the point in letting you two kill each other!"

"_All ZAFT forces are to immediately surrender. Messiah has been lost, the war is over."_

That was the transmission sent to every ZAFT radio on every ship and mobile suit around the moon.

Michael quickly spoke back into the radio slightly calmer than before "If you really wanted to help me you'd get me out of here because I just effectively went AWOL and am not with ZAFT anymore."

That caught Molly off guard and left her with a stunned look on her face it was Michaels voice coming over her radio again that broke her from her stupor "Well are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course I will" She said opening her Windam's cockpit hatch "jump on over."

Michael quickly opened his machines cockpit and leapt into open space towards the former Earth Forces machine leaving behind his ruined GOUF. Once he had entered the cockpit Molly closed it behind him and he settled in behind her cockpit chair.

"So what's your name?" Molly asked, turning her helmeted head towards her new passenger.

"Michael 'Grave Digger' Graves, ex-ZAFT redcoat." He answered nonchalantly "And you are?"

"Molly 'Shinigami Sniper' Rosewood, ex-Earth Alliance 1st Lieutenant, and currently a mercenary." She replied with an infectious grin that made Michael himself smile.

"Now Molly if you don't mind, before you whisk me away can we go look for a friend of mind?"

"Not at all." Molly fired up the Windam's thrusters and jetted off into the now quite battlefield leaving behind two ruined mobile suits and one unconscious ace.

Authors Notes: Okay sorry that took so long but I've been having a myriad of difficulties I really don't even feel like getting into but I hope you enjoyed and will read the actual story when it comes out. So until then

Rau Le Creuset 88


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